Torturous Pain
by RayWest1982
Summary: Pain, the Team had truly learn what it is. Robin it the main focus of the actual pain, but they all feel it. /Chalant, Spitfire and more to come.
1. Lesson

Torturous Pain

Chapter 1: Lesson

_ "Never let them see your pain." _That was Bruce's first lesson. It played in Dick's head as he began to awaken. His body was numb, but his head pounded along with the lesson playing. _"__If they know it hurts, they'll keep going. They will try and break you. It will be hard. I won't lie, it will hurt. You will want to break down, but you need to find that one thing, Dick. That one thing that pushes you forward; that one thing you think about and when the situation seems desperate, the thing that makes you keep going." _Many times Dick had to remember this, it wasn't the first time he's been in a situation like this. He had proposed to Bruce that he made himself bait, allowed himself to be captured so they could track where the hideout is at with the tracking device in his mask. _"Don't listen to what they tell you, keep that one thing in your mind but don't let them see the hope. Remain emotionless." _But this time was different. He didn't allow himself to be captured. _"They'll get annoyed, angry, but don't give the satisfaction that they actually broke through to you. In the case of torture, you are nothing. There's no such thing as emotions. Keep yourself numb." _He almost forgot the last part when his vision finally cleared and he say his team there. Artemis, Wally and Zatanna. The four of them had been sent to Gotham to track Joker's movements, just to track his movements. But Joker wasn't alone, he now has a girlfriend; Harley Quinn.

Just _how_ could he have been so fucking _stupid_?! He knew that Joker had Harley with him, but he didn't cover his back. He didn't tell the others about her either! He scolded himself as he glared at nothing. His scolding got worse as he saw the injuries on his teammates. Artemis' hair was out of it's usual ponytail, her stomach had a huge horizontal cut but luckily it wasn't bleeding out anymore, her lip was busted open and had blood leaking from the corner of her mouth, her wrists were raw from the handcuffs over her head. Dick noticed how Artemis knew to keep herself numb. One, if not both, of her parents had told her about torture and how to handle it. But it wasn't the same for Wally and Zatanna. Wally's goggles were broken, his face was bruised badly and his left eye swollen shut while his other one shown his fear. What stabbed at Dick's heart was when he saw Wally's legs, they were broken and the baseball that had did it was laying by his feet. Why did he have to be so goddamn stupid and forget about Harley Quinn?! If, no, when he got out of this, Bruce was going to give him an ear full. He caused all of this. It was all of his fault. He wanted to look away, he needed to, but he didn't. His eyes went over to Zatanna and his heart nearly broken. Her face was covered in tears, her lips sealed with duct tape, her forehead bruised and had a cut. He could tell by how limp her left arm was as it hanged from the handcuff above her head that her shoulder was dislocated. Her leg was bleeding, but he was too far away to tell if it was from a stab wound or gun shot. Either way, it all pained him,

Then he realized, other than his pounding head, he felt no pain. He flexed his fingers, feeling that his gloves were gone, then flexed his toes, his boots were also gone. Of course his utility belt was gone, but they left his mask. They always leave his mask. It would be too easy to find out who he was that was. To all villains, this was a game to them. They hated it when it was easy. Things weren't allowed to be easy. Dick scanned the room more, neither Joker or Harley to be found. It was then he realized he was tied into a chair, instead of hanging along the wall like the others and it was for a simple reason; he was the show. Joker didn't care if the others were saved. Hell, he probably wanted them to be in the end. He was going to make an example out of Dick. Joker wanted to kill them in front of their eyes.

Tears came to all of others' eyes when they reached he was finally awake. Hope swelled up in their chests. Robin was awake. He would get them out of this. He would save them. "Robin," both Artemis and Wally muttered. Zatanna tried, but the duct tape stopped that from happening, she just cried again. In their eyes, they saw just how bad he looked right now. His hair stick to his forehead, but not because of sweat, because of blood. Harley had smacked him in the back of the head with her mallet and his forehead slammed into the ground. There had been so much blood. They thought he was going to die from blood loss. That he was never going to wake up, but he did.

"Ohhhhh Mist'ah J!" Harley skipped into the room. Her voice was loud and made Dick's head pound even more as his ears rang. "Ya were right! Lil birdie boy is awake~!" She said in a sing-song voice and skipped in front of Dick and smiled mock-sweetly. "'Bout time ya got up. B-Man would have been up _hours_ ah-go." She taunted him. She got no reaction from him, at least not on the outside. "Y'know, I used ta be a psychiatrist. I know what just said got und'ah yer skin." And she was right. Batman would have been awake hours ago. Dick kept messing up.

And even before Bruce's lesson could play in his head again, someone from behind jerked the chair back and slammed it into the wall, the chair breaking. Dick was still attached to the chair while that all happened. He barely managed too keep his head from smacking into the wall. He felt the chair break against his back and it knocked the air out of his lungs. The next attack happened before he even had a chance to try to catch his breathe, a purple shoe grounded into his rib cage. Pain, a lot of pain. It pulsed through him, but he refused to cry out. He couldn't even if he wasn't holding it back. He couldn't breathe, the kicks didn't stop and his vision was getting fuzzy and dark.

"No no nooooo you don't, Boy Blunder. You're not allowed to pass out," Joker said with a sickening grin on his face. He picked Dick up by his hair and forced the boy to look at the team. "I have to teach them a lesson, and you're the example. You see, you already know the lesson!" He laughed without a joke and walked over to the hanging teens, then he picked up the baseball bat by Wally's feet. He leaned in close to the red head's face. "Let's see how well the _Bat_ likes his sidekick. Hehehehahahahahahaha!" He laughed louder and threw Dick to Harley. She caught and held onto the teen.

SHWOOSH. CRACK. GAAAASP. _Slpat._

The bat met Dick's rib cage, blood drops were on the floor. But Joker was unamused. "I guess the bat doesn't like Boy Blunder so much." Joker said then tossed it aside. He leaves the room for a moment. While he's gone, Dick looks up at his three friends. All of their eyes wide and teary. Artemis didn't cry, but she was about to. Wally and Zatanna's cheeks were already decorated with the water. They all were shaking with fear. _Don't show fear._ He wanted to tell them that so much, but he couldn't. Harley was holding him, it would make it pointless if she knew it was an act. He had to do something, anything. He needed to save his friends. But before he could even think of a plan, Joker returned with his new toy of choice; a crowbar.

SHWOOSH. CRACK. GAAAASP. KU-AAA. _Slpat. _Ughh.

Joker grinned as he saw more blood came from Robin's mouth. Oh, the crowbar was going to nicely. His arm pulled back, preparing for another swing when "STOP!" pierced the room. It was the annoying red head that didn't know how to shut up until he had a few broken bones. Joker looked back at him then just laughed. "Stop? _Stop?!_ But the fun has just started! Now, shut up and pay attention to your lesson." He grinned at the last word he said. _Lesson._ That's all this was. They needed to learn what the bird already knew. "Harley, be a dear and leave. Teacher's having a private lesson." He grinned at the word again and even more when Harley left. Joker pulled his arm back again and swung at the bird on the ground.

SHWOOSH. CRACK. GAAAASP. KU-AAA. _Slpat. _Ughh. SHWOOSH. CRACK. GAAAASP. KU-AAA. _Slpat. _Ughh.

"I just don't know which I like better. Forehand?" SHWOOSH. CRACK. GAAAASP. KU-AAA. _Slpat. _Ughh. "Or backhand?" SHWOOSH. CRACK. GAAAASP. KU-AAA. _Slpat. _Ughh. He went between each one as he hit Dick. It was becoming hard for the boy as his body was being beaten to hold back his pain. His body rocked with each impact, and it was only getting worse.

SHWOOSH. CRACK. GAAAASP. KU-AAA. _Slpat. _Ughh. SHWOOSH. CRACK. GAAAASP. KU-AAA. _Slpat. _Ughh. SHWOOSH. CRACK. GAAAASP. KU-AAA. _Slpat. _Ughh. SHWOOSH. CRACK. GAAAASP. KU-AAA. _Slpat. _Ughh.

Blood was smearing across the concrete as Dick slid across it when each hit. Zatanna was bawling her eyes out, crying out as much as she could against the duct tape. Wally was sobbing too much to yell for the Joker to stop again. Artemis' tears were free falling from her eyes as she watched what was happening to one of her best friends, words just couldn't form.

SHWOOSH. CRACK. GAAAASP. KU-AAA. _Slpat. _Ughh. SHWOOSH. CRACK. GAAAASP. KU-AAA. _Slpat. _Ughh. SHWOOSH. CRACK. GAAAASP. KU-AAA. _Slpat. _Ughh. SHWOOSH. CRACK. GAAAASP. KU-AAA. _Slpat. _Ughh. SHWOOSH. CRACK. GAAAASP. KU-AAA. _Slpat. _Ughh. SHWOOSH. CRACK. GAAAASP. KU-AAA. _Slpat. _Ughh. SHWOOSH. CRACK. GAAAASP. KU-AAA. _Slpat. _Ughh. SHWOOSH. CRACK. GAAAASP. KU-AAA. _Slpat. _Ughh.

It was endless. The blood rushing in Dick's ears covered Joker's laugh. His thoughts were on his mother as he was beaten. His thoughts were on his father. They were on Bruce. On Alfred. Wally. Artemis. Conner. M'gann. Kladur. Zatanna. He didn't have one thing to keep him going. He had many things. Anyone would be sure they would die as they were being beat senseless as he was right now. But no. Not Richard Grayson. He was taught better, and as naïve as it was, he believed what Bruce told him. _"I'll find you."_

SHWOOSH. CRACK. GAAAASP. KU-AAA. _Slpat. _Ughh. SHWOOSH. CRACK. GAAAASP. KU-AAA. _Slpat. _Ughh. SHWOOSH. CRACK. GAAAASP. KU-AAA. _Slpat. _Ughh. SHWOOSH. CRACK. GAAAASP. KU-AAA. _Slpat. _Ughh. SHWOOSH. CRACK. GAAAASP. KU-AAA. _Slpat. _Ughh. SHWOOSH. CRACK. GAAAASP. KU-AAA. _Slpat. _Ughh. SHWOOSH. CRACK. GAAAASP. KU-AAA. _Slpat. _Ughh. SHWOOSH. CRACK. GAAAASP. KU-AAA. _Slpat. _Ughh. SHWOOSH. CRACK. GAAAASP. KU-AAA. _Slpat. _Ughh. SHWOOSH. CRACK. GAAAASP. KU-AAA. _Slpat. _Ughh.

Joker paused and leaned down to Dick's level. "So, which it is?" He asked as he grabbed Dick's head and lifted his face from the floor. The three "students" gasped when they saw his face. Broken nose, blood pouring from it. Busted eyebrow and lip, blood pouring from them. Bruises forming all over. "Forehand or backhand?" Referring to which one hurt worse.

Something appeared on Dick's face that no one expected to see. A smug grin. Blood covered his teeth. "Nnnnnn-errrrr." He tried to speak, but it was apparent he had a collapsed lung. And that made Joker laugh, and he announced about the collapsed lung, but Dick still grinned.

The grin made Joker snap when it didn't disappear. Grinning was _his_ thing. He's _The Joker_! How dare this brat grin when he's half way to six feet under! He'll regret it, oh yes. He. Will. Regret. _IT! _Joker took a step back from the bloody boy then chunk the crowbar at him, making blood just seep from his mouth. The grin disappeared as soon as the knife came out. Joker's knife was death. He loved cutting people up. So much more fun then beating a person with a bat or crowbar. "You're going to end up bleeding to death, Boy Blunder. And you know what the best part is?" Joker asked then just busted out laughing for a long while. "Batman doesn't even know you're here! The little tracking device in your mask, I threw it away! _I KNOW WHO YOU ARE!_" With that said, he went back laughing.

Those word burned into Dick. Joker knows who he is. Joker knows. It was all lost. Game over. Richard Grayson was dead. It washed over him like a tsunami. Bruce had lied, he wasn't going to save him. He wasn't going to be found, not alive at least. His friends will witness his death. The death of a fifteen year old boy, only ever had one kiss in his life. Hadn't gotten to graduate from high school. His life was over. Very soon he was going to be stabbed and cut over and over again. He will be joining his parents.

Dick could see them now. John and Mary Grayson. Their loving smiles with arms wide open for their only son. The Flying Graysons would be united again, together forever. No more pain. _Pain._ No more blood. _Blood. _No more anything, just nothing. He wanted it. He wanted to actually be nothing. For the pain to stop. His eyes hurt as he began to cry, finally giving in. What was the point anyways? He was dead. Gone. Finished.

"Don't give up." Artemis.

"You c-can survive." Wally.

Their words tried to reach them. They all knew the boy had given up. He just laid there so limply. No hope in his expression at all.

"No use, birdie is gone." Joker said then began laughing. He started to slash at Robin. Shreds of clothing started to cover the floor. Stinging pain from the knife tip. But slowly, all of the pain was going away. Everything was fuzzy again as Dick's breathes were labored. Blood the only thing keeping him warm. The female scream didn't even snap him out of it. His thoughts were that Artemis just finally gave in, since Zatanna couldn't make a noise.

Oh, Zatanna. Dick was going to be leaving her, he didn't want to, but he was. His only kiss was from her, on New Years two years ago. Or was it just one? Or was it three? He couldn't remember. It was too hard to think. He wondered what it would be like to taste her lips again, instead of the blood in his mouth. Oh yeah, it would be so much better than the salty-iron taste on his tongue now. There was another noise. Did Joker toss his knife to watch him bleed out? He didn't care, he just wanted to think about Zatanna. She made him not want to die right now. Fight welled up in him. He was going to live for another kiss from her. He was going to live to see another smile and see her bright blue eyes. He was going to hug her so tight. His arms were going to be around her, and hers were going to be around him. It will be so warm.

It was so warm. He was warm and there were arms. _Zatanna?_ No, these arms were too big. Way too big. He turned his head into the chest that the arms were connected to. So warm. He knew this warmth, though it was rare. It all clicked in his foggy brain. The scream was Harley, not Artemis. _"I'll find you." _And he did. Bruce found him. Bruce was holding him, carrying him out of the hell hole.

"Robin … stay with me, okay?" He muttered softly. They were outside now. Dick felt the sunlight hit his cold body and help warm him up. "Dick, please. Just listen to my voice, alright. Dr. Fate stopped the bleeding, but you lost a lot of blood. Stay awake." The Justice League, it became a League matter when they went missing. Oh, Dick had so screwed up his mission to just track Joker. "I'm going to get you to Alfred, alright. He'll make it better." Bruce was crying. It didn't show in his voice, but Dick felt the wet tear drops on his face. "Don't worry about the others, Canary and the other League members will take care of them." The sun had disappeared and he couldn't understand Bruce's words anymore.

Bruce had lost him, Dick just couldn't stay conscious anymore. Whether the boy knew it or not, he was grunting or groaning to what Bruce was saying to him. But now, he was silent other than the labored breathes. He thanked god for the fact that they were in Gotham. He got to the cave just as Dick went into shock. The boy was on the medical table in a matter of seconds and Alfred stuck the IV in a vein, blood began flooding into the teen's body. Blood was what he needed the most, next on that list was his lung then the broken bones then finally the stitches.

Artemis, Wally and Zatanna were back in Mount Justice's Infirmary. Wally was laid back in the bed he was in, his legs in casts and bandages all over his person. Artemis was also laying in the bed she was assigned, stitches for her stomach and bandages around her wrists. Zatanna sat in her bed, her shoulder put back into socket and now in a sling. Her fingers tracing along her lips, sore from having the duct tape taken off. The one thing on their mind was obvious; was Robin alive? Batman had just rushed in and taken him away as soon as Joker was knocked out.

"Sleep," Black Canary said as she walked back into the room. It had only been three hours ago since the League had saved them. "You need rest." M'gann, Rocky, Kladur and Conner weren't even allowed to see the three teens. Very few League members were even allowed to see them. Barry demanded to be one of them to be there for his nephew, but Canary had kicked him out, using the excuse that Wally's parents needed to know that they had found Wally. Dr. Fate was another member that was in there. It was clear that Zatara had influence over him as Fate worried about Zatanna, but Fate mainly healed all over the serious damaged. Canary and Red Tornado were the ones really playing doctor and did all of the other medical work.

The teens didn't protest like the blonde woman thought they would. They all were exhausted and fell asleep after Canary told them to sleep. She watched them sleep then sighed softly. She had never been in their shoes. To be tortured, it's life changing. So is a death of a teammate, a dear friend. She prayed like hell that Robin would be okay as she walked over to each teen, carefully tucking them all in then dimmed the lights. She was going to play therapist for them again, she needed to. Because they need it. Everyone that comes into contact with the Joker needs therapy afterwards. She began preparing herself now for their mental traumas.


	2. Therapy

Torturous Pain

Chapter 2: Therapy

"I just don't get it. How could Robin stay so calm during it all? He was being beat with a crowbar, a crowbar!" That's how it's been for the past week. Wally would just go on about how he didn't understand how Dick handle it. Never would he allow Canary see deeper into him, what he felt during it all. And it was high time that she found out, especially after hearing that Robin was going to make it for sure now.

"Wally. Enough about Robin. Tell me what happen, from your eyes. Everything, not just when Robin was beaten." The blonde interrupted Wally mid-rant about everything. Usually, things would just go silent until Wally just left the room. But thing time was different. Wally sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair. Finally, they were getting somewhere. Wally was going to open up about it.

_Wally's POV_

_Mission: Track Joker_

_Team: Robin, Kid Flash, Artemis and Zatanna. Until they meet up with Batman._

_Leader: Robin_

_I was so happy for Robin. Finally, he got to be leader of the Team. Even if it wasn't all of us, it was be big deal for him. Especially since Batman was trusting him with tracking the Joker. Though Batman stressed it that we were only to track Joker's movements. Never to be in sight, nor to engage the mad man. Whatever, it was a mission and we were going to do it._

_ When we got to Gotham, Robin refused for us to truly separate. Just only a little bit, but we were mostly together. And it was so boring, just going back and forth from Gotham to Blüdhaven. We weren't getting any action! Robin even yelled at me when I suggested we just take Joker down ourselves. No need to be touchy. I get it, Joker is his and Batman's villain, but it doesn't mean no one else can't take him down. _

_ But things changed when we were on our way back to Gotham again. There was a strange laugh, a female laugh. The next thing I knew, Robin was smacked in the back of the head with her mallet. He hit the rooftop hard. My stomach felt sick when I saw the blood already staining the rooftop. _

_ "Oopies, birdie fell down." The woman said. She was dressed in a red and black jester outfit, and she had her face painted white. Who the heck was she? "Lets see 'ere. Kiddie Flash, Arrow girl and uh … Vegas show girl?" _

_ "It's Kid Flash!"_

_ "It's Artemis!"_

_ "It's Zatanna!"_

_ We all seemed to yell at the same time, but the woman didn't care. She simply just shrugged her shoulders. "I dun care. Mist'ah J want y'all though. So, are we gonna do this teh easy way or teh fun way?" She asked us with some accent that I didn't know. Honestly, there aren't many females that scare me. But this lady, she did. Especially when she had that same sickening grin as Joker._

_ I swear, we tried to fight her, but she just knew how to take us out. Artemis' arrows were useless. The jester-lady just broke them all with her mallet. That's when I decided to do something, but … Well, I don't know how exactly, but when I got close to her, her mallet and my chest met. I think I hit my head on a wall or something. Everything was just black then._

_ When I woke, it wasn't pleasant. Joker decided it would be "funny" to wake me up by breaking my legs with a baseball bat. It hurt, it hurt like hell. I can't remember if I screamed, I probably did. I don't know what scared me more; The Joker in my face or the fact if I ever got loose, I couldn't run._

_ "Well, well wellllllll. Boy Flash has woken up! The first one too. You see, boyo, your lady friends are still sleeping." He said so … so … I don't know! He wasn't treating it like he had just broken my legs! Then he threaten Artemis and Zatanna, I hadn't even realized that they were hanging next to me. I didn't realize I was even hanging. We were just hanging there, with our hand cuffed above __our heads._

_ I glared at Joker, trying to seem unafraid, though I just wanted to shit myself. "Don't touch them, Clown. Not like you can actually do anything. Everyone knows your bark is worse than your bite." Well, that last part was obviously a lie, and Joker didn't like it at all. He has the best left hook I've ever felt. Then he punched me again. Really didn't help that I had slammed into a wall or something earlier._

_ "Oh, Mist'ah J! Teh girlies have woken up." The crazy jester-lady said. I didn't even know she was in the room. How could I with Joker in my face? When he moved away, I saw her. Still in her jester suit and smiling at us. She was leaning again the back of a chair. The chair had Robin in it. God, he looked so limp. His head just hung down._

_ "Rob ..." But he didn't answer. I hoped like hell that he was still alive. I've never seen anyone so limp before. If it wasn't for the rope across his chest, he would have fallen right out of it. I fought against the handcuffs, which only earned me another punch across the face._

"Wally," Canary stopped him. "That's enough for today." She said and reach over to wipe away the tears from his eyes. The rest she could get from Artemis or Zatanna. It was no secret that Wally and Robin were best friends. She didn't need to make him relive the experience anymore. The teen just simply nodded. She wheeled him out of the therapy room to the living room. He needed to be surrounded by friends.

Artemis went right to Wally's side and began to comfort him. It was clear to see the love between them. They had been dating since they were Robin's age. Two years, that's a long time to be with someone at their age and in their business. Canary knew that all too well. Seeing at Artemis was busy with Wally, and Zatanna wasn't around, she was going to spend some time with Green Arrow. It had been a while since those two have been a lone together.

It was a week before Artemis came to Canary. There was still no new about Robin, and it was taking a toll on everyone. Batman had even gone missing from Gotham. Green Arrow, Superman and The Flash were all taking turns with patrolling the dark city. Artemis decided that it was time for her tell her view of what had happened.

_Artemis' POV_

_Mission: Track Joker_

_Team: Robin, Kid Flash, Artemis and Zatanna, until meet up with Batman._

_Leader: Robin_

_ After both Wally and Robin were knocked out, it just left Zatanna and I against the jester woman. My arrows were pretty much useless since she had a huge ass mallet-hammer-thing. Well, until Zatanna used one of her backwards spells and made it disappear. Though I wish Zee didn't wait until the jester was so close. There was a sickening pop then Zatanna was knock out cold. The pop was her shoulder being dislocated._

_ I shot an arrow at her, but she dodged it and went out of sight. I spun around looking for her. It was one on one now, but she did just take out the rest of my team. It was scary, to be the only one left. Letting my fear get to me was probably what lead to my capture. All of our captures. I had hesitated, and the woman got the upper hand._

_ She was behind me. Not only did I feel a chill up my spine, I felt a chill across my stomach then warmth. She had cut me and before I could even react, everything when black. It stayed like that until a noise had woken me. The place they had taken us to was cold, and not that big. It was obvious before Joker even said it he wanted to teach us a lesson that there was going to be a "show". And the show was Robin. I tried to remember what my parents had taught me about torture. But, it's hard when one of your best friends is tied up in front of you. Even harder when they are being beaten with a crowbar._

"I … if I had just been stronger. If I hadn't choked, none of that would have happened." Artemis spoke. Obviously not going to replay what had happened anymore. She was just putting the blame on herself. "Other than Robin, I have the most experience on the team! Hell, my parents our villains, how could I have been bested so easily?" It was no secret who Artemis' parents were anymore. No one held it against the blonde for her family's life choices.

Canary leaned over and placed a hand on her shoulder. They all have been through so much, she was grateful to be let in so much. To get to know that Artemis does get scared. That's not an easy thing to admit. For any of them. There were times that Canary herself felt scared, and only her husband knew about some of those times. No one knows everything. That just it work out as a Hero. There was always something unknown.

As if Batman knew when everyone was going to be gathered in the main compound of Mount Justice for a debriefing, he zeta-tube in. Everyone turned to him. Almost expecting bad news until they hear; Recognized Robin; B01.

The teen limped into the room. It had been two weeks since any of them had seen him. If it wasn't for the sling that held his broken arm, they all would have rushed over to hug him. It was obvious in the air that Robin wasn't the same Boy Wonder anymore. His sunglasses still covered his eyes, but the rest of his face was revealed. The bruises were slowly healing, a faded blue color now. His busted lip and eyebrow have scabbed over. He also had a walk cast/boot on his leg.

But the important thing was; Robin was alive.


	3. Over With

Torturous Pain

Chapter 3: Over With

It was awkward for them all at first. No one could hug Robin like they wanted to because of his injuries. It was too quiet for Mount Justice for it to be full of people like it was. The injured teen just sighed, which he regretted and winced. His ribs still hurt, and his lungs hurt too. He was still in recovery even though, obviously, his lung isn't collapsed anymore it still hurt. With his free hand, which was wrapped up in bandages, he ran his fingers through hair and look at his teammates through his sunglasses.

"So, uh," his voice was deeper than what it had been. "I'm alive." He said nonchalantly. What else was he supposed to say? Robin didn't know.

Just saying that he was alive was all it took for Zatanna to give in. She walked over to him and hugged him gently. "I'm so happy," was all said before she melt her lips with his, obviously not caring that Batman, and everyone else, was right there watching.

Dick kissed her back right away, his good arm wrapping around her waist. Everyone respectfully left, knowing that they can talk to Robin when he wasn't busy with Zatanna. It was no secret that the two had the hots for each other. Definitely no secret between the teens. And Dick couldn't have asked for a better welcome back gift. He lived for another kiss from her. It was what kept him going in the end, during the touch and go nights in the cave.

Slowly the kiss ended, but Zatanna didn't remove her arms from around Dick's neck and he didn't remove his arm from around her waist. "I lived for another kiss from you," he admitted with his forehead resting against her's. "I just wanted to kiss you again." He said brokenly.

It was bringing tears to her eyes as he spoke. "Shh," Zatanna said softly. She lightly ran her fingers through his jet back hair as her teary, blue eyes looked at his face. She saw herself in the reflection of his sunglasses. She always wondered what colors his eyes were. Though, she actually does know since Joker had revealed to them that he is Dick Grayson. She has seen from newspaper photos and on TV that his eyes were blue, but never in person has she seen them. "You can get as many kisses as you want." She wanted to say his name, but she wasn't sure how he would react.

Before Dick could even reply, Zatanna had kissed him again. It was warm, so warm. The kiss started out slow and soft, then the kiss sped up and turned intense. He made sure to remember everything about her lips. The curves to her lips, just how incredibly soft they felt against his and smooth. It wasn't going to forget, he wont let himself. They pulled away breathless and if it weren't for his sunglasses they would be staring into each others' eyes.

"Zee," Dick said softly as his fingers trail along her back.

"Y-yeah?" She replied softly. So much had changed over the past two weeks. And that was just the beginning.

"Thank you." It wasn't what she was expecting or hoping for, that he would finally ask her out. Dick smiled softly before pulling away and just leaving her there, staring after him.

The Teen, once Boy, Wonder had went to find Black Canary. He wanted to get this over with, knowing that the blonde was going to seek him out for the therapy session anyways. In all honesty, he didn't want to talk about it. He didn't talk about his parents' murder, so in his mind, he didn't need to talk about what happened to him. He didn't need to talk about the fight he had with Bruce about there being a new Robin. It was all fine by him. Lately, he had wanted to go solo anyways.

"Dick, please." Canary pleaded with him, using his name. "Talk with me."

"Just because Joker had revealed that I'm Robin to everyone, doesn't mean you can start saying my name." It wouldn't have bothered him if Artemis or Zatanna, definitely not Wally since he knew. But Black Canary, no, Dinah Lance he didn't want her to feel closer to him. No one could be close to him anymore. "Actually, I'm not Robin anymore. Batman has found a new one, one that wont get captured and beaten with a crowbar."

With that said, Dick left the room and Mount Justice all together. Leaving Dinah stunned by what was said. Dick wasn't Robin anymore? She had to find out for sure from Batman. She barely managed to catch him before he left in one of the zeta-tubes and asked him out right about Dick not being Robin anymore.

The man sighed deeply. "It was just supposed to be that Dick was going to be Robin for the Team while there was another Robin just for Gotham, to relief stress from him."

"What?" Again, Dinah was stunned.

"Canary, don't worry about it. It's not like Dick is giving up being a hero all together." Batman said then zeta back to Gotham.

News spread fast about there being a new Robin. It spread even faster when there was a new hero, and this hero was taking on a city worse than Gotham; Blüdhaven. The first Robin had taken on a new name; Nightwing. He was the youngest solo hero, only sixteen. Dick had missed his own birthday during his recovery time. As for going solo in a different city, Bruce wasn't too happy about it. But at least Blüdhaven isn't that far away from Gotham, even though it was worse than the city he protects. The agreement was also that Dick had to help train Jason Todd, his replacement.

Dick hadn't returned to The Team until he was completely recovered. He was still wearing sunglasses, just like Jason was. He introduced the new Robin and Batgirl then changed the zeta-tubes' recognition. Another thing had happened during this union of the Team, Aqualad had stepped down as leader.

"You're ready, Rob—Nightwing." He said to the sixteen year old.

Nightwing ran a hand through his hair, he didn't feel like he was ready. Especially not after what had just happened. But everyone had agreed, even Batgirl and Robin. He looked over to the two of them then sighed. "Alright," he accepted the role of leader. Who would have imagined that something so bad would had lead to so many good changes in his life?

"So, you're Batgirl?" Wally said, as he looked the other red head over. The female just simply nodded. "You've been Batgirl for a while, so why just join up now?" He asked her.

"Does it matter?" She replied instead of saying the true reason; Zatanna. Even she knew about Dick's feelings for the girl and it made her jealous. She had known him longer, and yet the magic girl gotten closer to him more than she has.

"Dic- Nightwing, is that all?" The new Robin asked, annoyed. He didn't want to be around this new team. Hell, he didn't even like Batgirl, why would he want to work with the rest of them? Because Bruce said so?

Nightwing looked over to him. "No. I'll give you two the tour then we'll be done." He said.

The new Boy Wonder rolled his eyes behind his sunglasses and crossed his arms. "Fine, let's just get this over with."


End file.
